Houstonians line up for the new iPad

Employees cheer the customers in line just before doors open for the first time at the new Highland Village Apple Store.

Employees cheer the customers in line just before doors open for the first time at the new Highland Village Apple Store.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Waiting at sunrise at Highland Village.

Waiting at sunrise at Highland Village.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Waiting at sunrise at Highland Village.

Waiting at sunrise at Highland Village.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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The line gets longer outside Houston's newest Apple Store.

The line gets longer outside Houston's newest Apple Store.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Crowds inside the new Highland Village Apple Store.

Crowds inside the new Highland Village Apple Store.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Employees greet customers as they enter the Highland Village Store.

Employees greet customers as they enter the Highland Village Store.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Got what they came for.

Got what they came for.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Setting up a new iPad in the Highland Village Apple Store.

Setting up a new iPad in the Highland Village Apple Store.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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First look inside the Highland Village Apple Store. The cover was removed about 10 p.m. Thursday.

First look inside the Highland Village Apple Store. The cover was removed about 10 p.m. Thursday.

Photo: Kris Green / 4 Leaf Photo

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Photographer Kris Green, left, is first in line at the new Highland Village Apple Store. With him is student Jonathan Pitcher.

Photographer Kris Green, left, is first in line at the new Highland Village Apple Store. With him is student Jonathan Pitcher.

Photo: Dwight Silverman / Houston Chronicle

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From left, Wen Bu, William Bu and Tri Nguyen.

From left, Wen Bu, William Bu and Tri Nguyen.

Photo: Dwight Silverman / Houston Chronicle

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Back view of the Highland Village Apple Store

Back view of the Highland Village Apple Store

Photo: Kris Green / 4 Leaf Photo

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Another view of the back.

Another view of the back.

Photo: Kris Green / 4 Leaf Photo

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Taking the cover of the back of the store.

Taking the cover of the back of the store.

Photo: Kris Green / 4 Leaf Photo

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Removing the cover on the back glass wall.

Removing the cover on the back glass wall.

Photo: Kris Green / 4 Leaf Photo

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Unmasking the back of the store.

Unmasking the back of the store.

Photo: Kris Green / 4 Leaf Photo

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The Apple logo appears.

The Apple logo appears.

Photo: Kris Green / 4 Leaf Photo

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Cover's coming off the glass at the Apple Store.

Cover's coming off the glass at the Apple Store.

Photo: Kris Green / 4 Leaf Photo

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Devon McManus and Kris Green

Devon McManus and Kris Green

Photo: Kris Green / 4 Leaf Photo

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Workers ready the Highland Village Apple Store for its opening.

Workers ready the Highland Village Apple Store for its opening.

Photo: Kris Green / 4 Leaf Photo

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Inside the new Apple Store.

Inside the new Apple Store.

Photo: Kris Green / 4 Leaf Photo

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Houstonians line up for the new iPad

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[Note: We’ll be using Twitter and other social media to help track lines at Apple Stores for Friday’s launch of the new iPad. Check back frequently for updates, and if you’re in line and want to let us know what’s going on, post to Twitter using the#houpad hashtag. We’ll feature your updates and photos here. –D.S.]

8:56 a.m. – Not everyone at the Highland Village Apple Store was there for an iPad. Theo Vora of Houston pre-ordered his and expects to get it this afternoon via Fedex, but he told our Carol Christian that he wanted to come see the new store. It’s his third Houston-area Apple Store opening, and this one was different.

“If you were standing in the middle of the room when they opened the door, I can’t describe the decibel level,” he said. “It was so intense, like being at a concert. It felt emotional. “In this age of online retail, there is something to be said for coming in person.”

8:29 a.m. – Carol Christian talked to Vickas Dangayach, a 29-year-old medical resident at Baylor College of Medicine. He’s got more serious intentions for the iPad he waited in line for since 4 a.m. today.

“It’s very useful in the medical profession,” Dangayach said. “We can use it for day-to-day activities in the hospital. Looking up patient records and things like that.”

8:16 a.m. – Our photographer Johnny Hanson has video of the Highland Village Apple Store’s opening of its doors for the first time.

7:45 a.m. – The Highland Village Apple Store is next door to a Sprinkles cupcake store, which opened its doors at 7 a.m. today. Chronicle reporter Carol Christian got a shot of a Sprinkles employee handing out cupcakes to those waiting in line for an iPad.

7:22 a.m. – Chronicle reporter Carol Christian is at the Highland Village Apple Store, where she estimates there are about 200 people are in line. She said they’ll soon separate out the folks who are just there to see the new store from those who want to buy an iPad.

At the Highland Village Apple Store, which will open its doors at 8 a.m. Friday for the first time, Kris Green was first in line. The photographer/videographer and instructor at Lone Star College may live in The Woodlands, but he chose the Highland Village Store as the place he’ll wait overnight to pick up an iPad.

“This is the spot, the place to be,” he told me. “Hey, it’s the new store. I wanna be the first through the door and have all the staff clapping for me.”

Green arrived about 7:30 p.m. Thursday with three other friends who planned to spend the night with him, but he’s the only one who will be buying an iPad. He said he’s “going all in” and will get the 64-gigabyte model with 4G LTE connectivity. He’ll be spending $829 for the privilege.

Three other people were also in line – Wen Bu, his son William and Tri Nguyen. They’d been there since about 8 p.m. Nguyen brought a tent, but he said he was not allowed to set it up. He’d spread out a sleeping bag on the sidewalk.

Apple Store personnel told those waiting in line to queue toward the back of the store. Green said he was told iPad buyers will be let in there at 8 a.m., while customers who want to buy other products will use the front door on Westheimer.

Outside the store, workers were still putting finishing touches on the building. Its glass front and back were remained covered.

And based on this tweet, it looks like more folks are on the way.

The line at the Highland Village Apple Store is already about 10 deep. Saw at least two news trucks, too.